KEF’s virgin venture into headphones, the M500, became one of our favorite pairs in their class, with plush comfort, elegant styling, and brilliant sonic performance. It would have been tough to top them, so when KEF decided to issue its latest effort, it didn’t even try. Instead, the company took a left turn, creating a lighter, sportier, more mobile offering dubbed the M400
At $250, the M400 can be seen as a soft step down from their predecessor — the M500 run a cool $300 — but the headphones are more about attracting a different kind of listener than a more price-conscious one.
Few (if any) headphone makers have escaped the mighty reach of Dr. Dre’s stylish (if overpriced) Beats brand cans, and KEF is no exception. Apart from being lighter and more compact, the new M400 is a little flashier than KEF’s first effort, especially when you trade the classic black cans for one of the three vivid color options: Racing Blue, Sunset Orange, and Champagne White.
And style isn’t the only change for the M400. Although the 40mm drivers match up very similarly to the M500 on paper, there’s a fairly distinct change in sound signatures here. While the headphones keep the same balance we expect from KEF in the midrange and treble, the bass is definitely boosted here. The lows are powerful enough to be thunderous when called upon, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your preference. The headphones also lack a touch of presence and clarity in the upper mids when compared to the M500.
That said, there are plenty of gorgeous moments to be enjoyed with the M400, which provides balance, detail, and rich warmth at the center of the sound across a wide variety of genres.
Those looking for a smooth ride, modern styling, and a bit more bass than the M500 provides will definitely want to give KEF’s latest a try.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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